Jumat, 27 September 2013

2013: Innovative Marketing Trends to Date

2013: Innovative Marketing Trends to Date This is your SiteProNews/ExactSeek Webmaster Newsletter! To drop your subscription use the link at the bottom of this message. If images are not visible, please visit us online.

There are many timeless elements to creating top-notch, results-oriented marketing campaigns. If it's not engaging, memorable, or oozing with a little wow factor, there won't likely be much fanfare. Every year, however, smart folks figure out new and innovative ways to lure in the masses, manifest a rags to riches story, and create tools and campaigns that become bona fide trends and legends.

We may only be in the fall of 2013, but already there have been many notable new movements that have created a stir in the world of marketing. It's a bit early to tell which of these have significant staying power, but here are a few of the most critical innovations that business owners should take notice of.

It's a Gamer's World Gamification may not be a new term, but it's proving to be a trend that seems to grow and grow. Business owners have become hip to the essential element of engagement through all marketing channels, and there are few activities that prove more engaging than an addictive video game. Couple that with the game-playing obsession proudly touted in younger generations, and it's clear to see how and why adding gaming elements to websites and marketing campaigns is exploding.

2013 has likely seen more gamification growth thanks to platforms like PunchTab and BigDoor, tools that make the integration of gaming elements into many business models a more seamless and organic process. Plus, apps like FourSquare have turned mundane tasks like running errands into a fun-filled, social-centric gaming experience. If you haven't integrated a level of status or fun into your efforts yet, and your industry is appropriate for the task, make this a top consideration.

BlackBerry will release its second quarter financial results Friday, but there will be no conference call with investors and analysts to discuss the results, the company has announced. The beleaguered Canadian Smartphone maker cited the letter of intent agreement between BlackBerry and Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited as the reason for the call's cancellation. "In light of the letter of intent agreement between BlackBerry and Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited that was signed and announced on Monday, Sept. 23, BlackBerry has cancelled its second quarter earnings conference call and webcast that had previously been scheduled for Friday, Sept. 27…

Content marketing has become a standard means of sharing creative and informative materials to nab your target audience. Content marketing is by no means new. In fact, The Beatles used the basic principles of content marketing during the 1960s as a way to entice the masses to become more interested in their stage performance and music. Just like content marketing, the objective is to attract, interest and engage your audience. Here are the top four4 things The Beatles have shown us about content marketing. Engaging the audience with the "You" principle The Beatles is a popular band that is loved for its music and style. The band rose to fame in the 1960s…

The main purpose of writing a blog is to ensure it is widely read. If you are monetizing your blog, it is doubly important to ensure it reaches as wide an audience as possible. To achieve just that, many bloggers use well-known social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Google+ to promote their posts. While these social media sites cater to large demographics, they are too crowded to always be effective and, let's face it, your blog is just another blog. Broad Base the Network you Access If you are writing on a niche topic, it is always a good idea to complement your presence in well-known social media networks with lesser known ones. The advantage…

Most of us can't fathom what life would be like offline - yet there remains a sizeable chunk of the American population that have not used the Internet or e-mail. According to a new study released by the Pew Research Center's Internet and American Life Project, 15 percent of adults in the U.S. have not been online - and many of them like it that way. Pew ResearchWhen asked why they choose not to use the Internet, 34 percent said it simply is not relevant to them, adding that they "are not interested, do not want to use it, or have no need for it." The other reasons included: 32 percent described the Internet as difficult to use. The non-users said it was either difficult or frustrating…

A consortium of hackers specializing in identity theft has gained access to the computers of some of the largest consumer and business data aggregators in the U.S., a seven-month investigation by KrebsOnSecurity has revealed. The hackers, known as SSNDOB cater to underground cyber-crime forums, offering to nab SSNs, birth dates and other personal data on any U.S. resident for a price, according to the KrebsOnSecurity blog written by Brian Krebs. SSNDOB charges only 50 cents to $2.50 per record and $5 to $15 for credit and background checks. According to the blog, customers pay for the group's services using anonymous digital currencies…

Dell and Oracle are expanding their partnership to take on the data management sector. CEO Michael Dell, who made the announcement at Oracle's OpenWorld Conference in San Francisco, said his company is getting ready to take on International Business Machines Corp., the current leader in the data management field. Dell said his company, with the help of Oracle, will convince consumers to forgo IBM's mainframes in favor of Dell's mass-market servers. "We're the folks to call to help you get off of that," he was quoted by Bloomberg. "We're unencumbered by an old legacy." Oracle, as part of its deal with Dell, is to supply the technology to manage…